The Cold War,
Nuclear Weapons, and McCarthyism
E. America Enters World War II
(1945-Present)
f. Analyze the social, cultural, and
economic changes at the onset of the
Cold War era
g. Analyze the origins of the Cold
War, foreign policy developments, and
major events of the administrations
from Truman to present
When World War II was finished, the USA, Britain, and France grew
concerned. They wanted the nations of the world to accept Democracy.
Yet, it was clear that Stalin wanted Eastern Europe
to be dominated by Communism.
Truman’s goal of “Containment” was simply to keep
Communism from spreading any further into the world.
Communism expanded out of the
USSR. Containment failed.
The Arms Race Begins
-In 1949, the USSR created an atom bomb.
President Truman was forced to make a
stronger weapon. This started an “arms
race.”
-In the USA, Scientists created an “H”
(hydrogen) bomb and claimed that it was
over 60 times more powerful than an atom
bomb.
-In 1952, the USA detonated an “H” bomb. In
1953, the USSR also detonated an “H” bomb.
Brinkmanship and the Eisenhower Doctrine
-President Eisenhower, elected in 1952, took strong
stands against Communism. In the Eisenhower
Doctrine, he promised to give military aid to any
Middle East nation threatened by Communism.
-Secretary of state, John Dulles, claimed the only
way to prevent Communism from spreading was to
make the Russian USSR fear that the USA was
ready to use nuclear weapons, if the time arose.
-Brinkmanship is the willingness to use your most
powerful weapons, at any moment, to keep your
enemy afraid.
President
Eisenhower used
the policy of
“Brinkmanship”
during the Cold
War.
Satellites in Space
-Stalin died and a leader named Nikita
Khrushchev was Stalin’s successor.
-Khrushchev thought Communism would take
over the world, but peacefully and not in
violence.
-In 1957, the Soviet Union became the first
nation of Earth to launch a satellite into space,
Sputnik. Despite the reduced tension with
Stalin’s death, many feared that the USSR had
such advanced technology.
Nikita
Khrushchev:
Joseph Stalin’s
successor in the
USSR.
The USSR
launched the
first Satellite
on Earth in to
space. It was
called Sputnik.
Sputnik was able to orbit the planet and
send signals back down to Earth.
The U-2 Incident
-The USA sent secret U-2 planes over
Russia to get images of the USSR for
military use.
-USA pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot
down and held in prison in Russia for two
years for spying for the USA.
-Cold War fears remained for decades after
this incident. Many feared all out nuclear
war could erupt between the USA and the
USSR.
Francis Gary powers was shot down over the USSR. He was
flying in a U-2 plane, like the one pictured above, and was
spying on the USSR for the USA.
Francis Gary
Powers was
imprisoned in the
USSR after his U-2
Plane was shot
down. He was
sentenced to ten
years. Yet, the USA
was able to secure
his release after he
had served two
years.
McCarthy launches his “Witch Hunts”
-In the 1950s, Joseph McCarthy, a Senator from
Wisconsin, made countless, unsupported
accusations asserting people were Communists. He
ruined the lives of many
-In 1954, Army investigations concerning
Communism were televised; people saw McCarthy
bully the witnesses and began to realize his
assertions were simply false and based on
delusional hysteria.
-McCarthy died due to difficulties with alcoholism and
McCarthyism is forever remembered as unfair
tactics of accusations
Joseph McCarthy increased the hysteria of the fear of
Communism by claiming that Communist spies had radically
infiltrated the United States and the government. He had no
proof or evidence of these claims. He ruined the lives of
many by falsely claiming they were Communists..
Some journalists, like Edward R. Murrow, bravely reported on
McCarthy and pointed out that his accusations
were untrue and his tactics were ruthless.
Fear of Communism Grows
-The Communist takeover of China shocked
the world. Many found it unbelievable that the
USA lost such a large nation to Communism.
-Republicans claimed Truman was weak on
communism. In response he formed the
Federal Employee Loyalty Program to remove
Communists from the government.
-According to FELP, if you supported
Communism, you were fired from government
service. Many saw this as a violation of the
Constitution.
More Communist Investigations
-The House Un-American Activities Committee
(HUAC), in 1947, investigated the movie industry
to determine if Communists were working in the
industry.
-The “Hollywood 10” was a group who refused to
cooperate and went to prison. They claimed the
investigations were wrong and unconstitutional.
Many people were “Blacklisted” after being
accused of being Communist.
-For those accused, they were often fired from
their jobs, abandoned by their families, and
ostracized by their friends. Those associated with
the accused avoided them to avoid being accused
themselves.
Trial Hearings Under HUAC
The Hollywood Ten and their lawyers: (from left): Front row:
Herbert Biberman, attorneys Martin Popper and Robert W.
Kenny, Albert Maltz, Lester Cole. Middle row: Dalton Trumbo, John
Howard Lawson, Alvah Bessie, Samuel Ornitz. Back row: Ring
Lardner Jr., Edward Dmytryk, Adrian Scott.
In this depiction, McCarthy is forcing people
to be added to the “blacklist.”
So, were there spies in the USA?
-Yes, there were spies in the USA. Yet, the
massive infiltration of spies that McCarthy
fabricated never existed.
-Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were
Americans who helped leak information to
the USSR to help them build an atom bomb.
Julius worked for the Army as an engineer.
-Ethel and Julius were convicted for spying
on the USA and both were executed for
treason.
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were convicted of giving
information to the USSR to help the Soviet Union build an
atom bomb. They were executed for treason.
THE
END
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